Preview: If you’re feeling depressed after ovulation, you’re not alone. There’s an explanation for it and it’s not all in your head. Here’s what causes post-ovulation depression and a few ways to deal with it.
Since I’m now in menopause, I’m dealing with an entirely new set of hormonally-triggered mood changes. (To download my free guide, 4 Tips to Thrive in Menopause, click here.)
But when I was younger, I often felt depressed after ovulation.
Several months after having a baby, my period returned and with it, the predictable sadness in the second half of my cycle. Struggling to find answers, I read several books on women’s health, asked my girlfriends, scoured the internet.
Sadly, I found precious little on the topic.
Many women, confounded by a health issue and frustrated with a lack of answers from their health care providers, go to a search engine for answers. Even in the 2020’s, sexism is still a problem in medicine, and there are not enough dollars spent on researching female health.
This post is consistently one of the highest-trafficked articles on this blog, because women find it after Googling “feeling depressed after ovulation”. I wrote it to share what I discovered in my search, and I hope it’s helpful to you.
Table of contents
Disclaimer: I am not a health expert, and the following should not be taken as medical advice. Please seek out a qualified health care practitioner.
When I wrote the first version of this post, the only information I found online was a message forum post or two. A woman would ask the same question I’d wondered:
“Why Do I Feel Sad Immediately After I Ovulate?”
I felt great during the first two weeks of my cycle – I’m energetic, motivated, eager to tackle that dangerously-close-to-hoarder-level decluttering project.
Stresses didn’t bother me as much and I was motivated to tackle life’s problems. I slept better during this time.
But then, quite literally the day after my peak ovulation day, I fall into a hole. Imagine the Swamp of Sadness, but without Atreyu, my first celebrity crush.
You might be asking, how do I know my peak ovulation day? Because for years, I used Natural Family Planning to track my cycle. I have seven children, so clearly it didn’t work so great for birth control. But it did teach me a lot of empowering information about my body.
For the next few days after ovulation, I’d feel depressed.
The low mood would ebb and flow for the next two weeks. I’d feel better for a couple of days, and blue for a couple of days. During this time I’d be more tired yet sleep lightly – every little noise would wake me.
Then, once my period began, I’d feel better instantly.
I have a family history of depression, so I’m careful to pay attention to symptoms like this. However, this isn’t bipolar, anxiety or clinical depression – it’s predictable, based on my cycle.
The frustrating part about having post-ovulation depression is how powerless I felt.
Despite taking care of myself with a good diet and exercise, ruling out other causes for my mood changes, the problem remained.
What Causes Post Ovulation Depression?
I finally sent a desperate email to my friend Dr. Heather, a naturopath I’d interviewed on my podcast, Natural Moms Talk Radio. She was gracious enough to send a lengthy reply, paraphrased here.
“At times during your menstrual cycle (usually, mid cycle – after ovulation) the chemical level of serotonin may decrease. Serotonin does many things in the body, but one of it’s important jobs is elevating our moods. My guess is that your serotonin levels are low during this time, making it difficult for you to feel your normal zest for life.”
Another source, TempDrop, makers of a cycle tracking app, say this about the link between ovulation and serotonin:
“There’s a drop in estrogen after ovulation which can cause a drop in serotonin, the chemical messenger that affects moods and is linked to depression and anxiety.
After ovulation, progesterone levels peak in the middle of the luteal phase before dropping back down. Progesterone fluctuations are also linked to a decline in dopamine, which can make you tired, moody, and unmotivated. Low estrogen can contribute to mood changes as well, including depression symptoms, anxiety, and frustration.”
After doing a bit more digging, I found some information on Wikipedia‘s tryptophan page that pointed to a connection between low serotonin and Seasonal Affective Disorder (which I experienced for years). See: How to Survive Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Low serotonin is also implicated in premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMDD describes my symptoms, but I have a mild version of it.
Side note: Reading all this information about serotonin, I learned that low levels are inherited. One of my sons experienced “sundowning”. He comes to me in the early evening around dusk and complains of being “sad for no reason”.
Turns out, this is related to the drop in serotonin levels we naturally experience as the sun goes down, to prepare our bodies for sleep. It appears that some people are very sensitive to this change. I’ve always hated dusk, and my mom has told me she experiences the same discomfort.
When you know that the interplay of hormones causes you to experience a monthly downshift in energy and mood, you’re not surprised by it. You can choose to pay less attention to it, knowing that your feelings will shift with your cycle.
Write It Out
Write out your feelings so you can gain some perspective. I love Mindsera, an AI-powered journaling app. As you read back over your diary entries, you’ll likely notice patterns. This will help you not to take the blue moods too seriously. See: How I’m Healing Anxiety with Mindfulness
(Therapy) Couch Time
Talking with a therapist can help you develop healthy tools to redirect your negative thoughts. If budget constraints are an issue, see this article on how to save money on mental health resources.
Movement for Mood
Exercise is a natural mood elevator and stress reliever. Staying in bed all day watching 80’s movies featuring your grade-school crushes is frowned upon. Engaging in healthy, body-loving movement you enjoy is a much better way to get the feel-goods. Committing to a daily walk, preferably outside, is one of my best mental health tools. Here are some suggestions for adding more movement to your day.
Let’s Talk Turkey
According to MyFoodData, high tryptophan foods include chicken, turkey, red meat, pork, tofu, fish, beans, milk, nuts, seeds, oatmeal, and eggs. It certainly doesn’t hurt to eat more of these foods mid-cycle to help prevent post-ovulation sadness.
Cycle Tracking
One of the ways to deal with cyclical mood changes is to track your cycle. Knowing exactly where you’re at in your cycle and understanding what’s happening hormonally and how that impacts your mood can help you ride the waves. TempDrop is a handy-dandy cycle tracking app you might want to check out.
Note: this is a reader-supported site that contains affiliate links, including Amazon associates links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I earn a small commission. Thank you!
The good news is, ovulation isn’t The Neverending Story. Someday you’ll have to deal with menopause instead. At this phase of my life, I miss the more predictable cycle of my fertile years. Just a little!
I’ve had issues with insomnia related depression for years. I was actually put on an SSRI last year, not for depression but for chronic insomnia. (I was only getting three to four hours of sleep a night, if that.) From what I understood, not having enough seratonin in my system kept my melatonin levels too high. I couldn’t sleep because I never fully woke up, instead spending my life in a half sleeping state.
I went on a low glycemic index diet back in the spring, not for weight loss reasons though it has resulted in a bit, but to help increase my seratonin levels without medication. It’s been a huge help for my ability to sleep naturally and my mood by extension.
Good luck to you!
I experience this too. As well as the “winter blues”. I’m interested in reading your post tomorrow. I already journal my food for dietary reasons, but I’m gonna see how my mood is affected by the food. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this. I thought I was for a very long time.
me too Candi!
What I found is that it’s normal for women to have more energy and be more social and talkative during the first half of their cycle (we’ve talked about this before!) and a more introspective, quiet mood during the second half of their cycle But for some this dips way too low into a depressive feeling. I don’t like feeling “not myself” for two whole weeks a month. 🙁
Amanda thanks for emailing me, I’m looking into this for sure. I’m familiar with low blood sugar issues, it’s why high carb diets have never agreed with me.
Great article Carrie! So many people need to understand this a better. And like I have said to you before .. I LOVE how proactive you are in your health!
I do want to mention one more thing. The best thing for us all to do is figure out what works best for us individually. All these books suggest what works best for them ( author) so reading a few and then pulling what makes sense to you ( and your body) is the key to optimal health.
I do not recommend a high car/low protein diet. The carbs will spike the serotonin and make you feel better but for long term success it is much better to find a balance.
I agree with the nutrition being full of contradiction! In fact, a friend and I were just talking about this. I think the absolute key is to eat as much whole real foods as possible – grass fed and organic meats, veggies, fruits, seeds, nuts, beans etc. Do your best to stick with that.
Please email me if you have any other concerns!
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Thanks so much for this article. I recently started to chart my moods – I get very sad for no real reason, don’t really want to socialise and think of myself as hard done by. After looking back at it tonight I found a pattern that fits with this. I started to think I was having mood disorders because I am very happy for 2 weeks and the smallest things sends me into tears the next two weeks. I am going to try natural foods and see if this improves my moods. Thanks again.
I’m so glad it was helpful 🙂
Wow, I really can’t thank you enough for this resource! I’ve been struggling with this on and off for the past 5 years (with some relief during pregnancy and while breast feeding) and since I also chart my cycle (Fertiliy Awareness Method) I know that ovulation day and the two days surrounding it are going to be horrendous! I get irritable, end up crying for half of the day, and occasionally have thoughts of suicide. It’s completely hormonal and before I made the connection, I half-joked with my husband that I only feel “normal” when I’m pregnant! Now I get it. And this totally makes sense as to why I’ve had lot of trouble sleeping too. I, too, am a very healthy woman and was diagnosed with SAD in my early 20s.
One question: do you take tryptophan in a pill/supplement form or by eating the foods listed from Dr. Heather’s site?
Amanda,
I did take a tryptophan supplement until I became pregnant. Thanks for your comment 🙂
So glad to have come across your post! This exact same thing has been happening to me for the past year and I’ve been to the doctor numerous time trying to find relief. I’m so happy and energetic and motivated for the first two weeks of my cycle, and like clockwork, just after ovulation, I feel the serotonin drop. I get depressed, anxious, can’t sleep, have chronic migraines and am deeply fatigued. This continues until after my period is over. Thanks so much for sharing this information and for letting me know I am not alone.
Thank you for posting this. It’s so nice to know that I’m not the only one who experiences this. I’ve started to make the connection that my depressed mood for about 1-2 weeks every month are related to my hormone levels, but I haven’t been consistent enough in tracking my cycles. I am going to start doing that more consistently now, including tracking my moods.
Again, it’s nice to know it’s not just me, and that the things I’m feeling sad about during this time, maybe don’t need to bother me as much. It’s just my hormones. Still, it sucks when I’m feeling this way. Like you, I don’t want to take any type of medication. But I might just try changing up my diet during this time.
Thanks again.
“the things I’m feeling sad about during this time, maybe don’t need to bother me as much. It’s just my hormones. ”
Genna, that’s how I feel about it too. Knowing that my feelings aren’t necessarily real helps me put things in perspective and not take it too seriously. This too shall pass…
I have been researching for years. Ever since I had my first child I’ve had this EXACT same thing going on.
I cannot thank you enough for this article.
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It’s a real thing! Glad it was helpful
So real. Sooooo real. Post-ov depression. Sigh.
If anyone has found a solution that’s worked for them I’d love to know.
I just wanted to comment on your edit and your conclusion that you may be progesterone-sensitive. This makes so much sense to me. I have suffered with PMDD many years and was put on hormonal birth control to “help” it. It was horrible! I felt like I was in raging PMS-mode all month! I believe this was exactly the problem!! Thank you for your efforts to bring this to light – I feel like I now have a direction. Let us hope we can all find a way to be “ourselves” all month every month.
Hello,
Thanks for your post. I have come across this issue recently (low mood during the ovulation), worth than during a period itself. I have made an appointment to see my doctor, and will ask for blood test for hormonal level. I am also on the intermittent fasting with high fat content in my diet for the last 16 month. My period stabilised itself after I started this diet regime of high natural fat.
Cheers.
Hi Carrie,
I’m suffering from this exact same thing (depressed immediately following ovulation with some insomnia), but I am also trying to conceive and wondering if this is impacting my fertility at all. Did you find that you were still able to get pregnant despite the mood and sleep issues?
Hi Carrie
Did you have this same post ovulation depression on cycles that you got pregnant?
I can’t recall. Thanks for your comment Alexandra 🙂
Hello there I know I am many years in reading your post about post ovulation depression, and you may no longer…and I hope that you are no longer experiencing these symptoms…but I had to reach out! Have you heard of PMDD…Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder? It is a hormone fuelled mood disorder kick started by ovulation. I was officially diagnosed 18 months ago. Always here if you would like to know more 🙂
All my love, Anna xx